The 2024 Dakar Rally is but a few weeks away. News has been coming in over the last few weeks about teams’ changes. The latest news is the 2024 Toyota Dakar Rally team that will be driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

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Massive Onslaught

Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) enter the 2024 Dakar Rally as defending champions. However, the team will be contesting the upcoming event without the man who claimed the last two wins at the event. Nasser Al-Attiyah left TGR to join Prodrive for 2024 (as we explained here).

Nevertheless, the 2024 Toyota Dakar Rally team will still be led by a former champion in Giniel de Villiers. Co-driver Dennis Murphy will take his regular seat alongside the Capetonian driver. The pair brings a wealth of experience to proceedings.

Click here to check out a gallery of images outlining De Villiers incredible Dakar Rally career.

The rally veterans will lead the SA charge that consists of Guy Botterill and Brett Cummings. The pair claimed their maiden victory on the South African Rally-Raid Championship earlier this year. Youngster Saood Variawa will be the other local driver on the team, who is joined by experienced French co-driver, Francois Cazalet.

International Additions

The SA trio will be bolstered by two international crews. The first new crew will see Lucas Moraes paired with former biker Armand Monleón as co-driver. Moraes was one of the stars of the 2023 Dakar Rally. He now steps up from a privateer Hilux into the works team. Seth Quintero will be partnered with co-driver Dennis Zenz as the last TGR entry. The pair were recently crowned T3 Lightweight Prototype W2RC champions. 

Race-winning Machine

All 2024 Toyota Dakar Rally teams will be competing in the T1+ category. They will be driving the same type of Hilux that conquered the grueling race in 2023. The squad of 3,5-litre turbocharged V6 machines will start racing in Saudi Arabia on January 5. Over 5 000 km of harsh terrain awaits them before the end on January 19.